The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a caution to consumers regarding a well-known online sweepstakes casino that has a dubious history of paying out winnings.
Crown Coins operates as a sweepstakes casino that provides free-to-play social gaming experiences. The platform employs a controversial dual-currency system, wherein players have the option to purchase additional digital tokens, known as sweeps coins, to engage in online slot machines and various table games.
Sweeps coins can be converted into cash withdrawals, with sweepstakes casinos maintaining that this model is a form of online promotional activity. Critics, however, argue that these setups resemble gambling operations that may breach state laws.
Despite the ongoing debate about their legality, the BBB in Central Virginia has reported observing a consistent trend of complaints from users attempting to withdraw their winnings from Crown Coins.
BBB Complaint Insights
Crown Coins is operated by a company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, which asserts that it has an established business presence in Virginia. The BBB, however, has been unable to verify the existence of a physical office and can only find a PO Box located in Fredericksburg.
After receiving 363 complaints from consumers and harboring broader concerns about the industry, Crown Coins has been assigned a BBB Rating of “F.” BBB Ratings range from A+ to F, evolving from factors such as customer complaints, transparency, and business responsiveness, while consumer reviews do not influence the rating.
“Consumers have reported that attempts to redeem their winnings are often met with obstacles,” the BBB states.
The BBB is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering marketplace trust through ratings, accreditation, dispute resolution, scam tracking, and consumer feedback.
The BBB cautions consumers to thoroughly examine the terms and conditions of Crown Coins prior to participating in the gaming experience. Additionally, those seeking support for gambling-related issues can contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.
In its response to the BBB, Crown Coins indicated that certain withdrawal requests were not processed due to violations of the terms and conditions, often stemming from players using multiple accounts to obtain free signup bonuses. The sweepstakes casino also highlighted issues with users attempting to utilize credit and debit cards that do not belong to them, lapses in necessary verification processes like facial recognition and driver’s license identification scans, and living in states where the platform is not authorized to operate.
Crown Coins User Reviews
The BBB business profile for Crown Coins reflects a low rating of 1.37 out of 5, based on 38 customer reviews. It is important to note that most consumers visit the BBB site to voice complaints when dissatisfied, which can explain the less-than-favorable score.
Frequently used descriptors for Crown Coins and its offerings include “scam,” “crooks,” and “trash.”
Nonetheless, not all feedback is negative.
“I’ve had no issues cashing out with Crown Coins. I suspect the negative reviews come from individuals upset about their losses. Personally, I’ve cashed out thousands without any problems,” shared Kirk F.